Keine Rosen Ohne Dornen
by wolfraven80
Summary: Where does love begin? In the first kiss? The first caress? Does it survive the winter, buried beneath drifts of snow, waiting for spring? AU, MomijixOC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This story basically puts the main Fruits Basket plot on hold and proceeds as if the current status quo, midway through the North American release of the series, were to remain in place for several years. It is necessarily AU from the point of view of the already-released Japanese manga. The story takes place a few years in the future when Momiji is eighteen and attending university, and it is Momiji-centric. It also ships him with an OC. I've tried to avoid some of the most common pitfalls that turn original characters into Mary-Sues so I can tell you upfront that my OC is not the fourteenth member of zodiac, does not have strangely-coloured hair or eyes, and she will not release the entire Sohma family from the curse. However, if AU and OCs aren't your thing, please remember the "back" button on your browser and find something more to your liking. As for everyone else, please let me know what you think.

** Note on the German:** I have included several German words or phrases in the story. Where their meaning is not explained in the text I have provided notes at the end of the chapter. I do not myself speak German but consulted with someone who learned it and lived in Germany for a time. However, if anyone more knowledgeable of the language notices an error feel free to let me know.

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**Keine Rosen Ohne Dornen**

_Where does love begin? In the first kiss? The first caress? Does it survive the winter, buried beneath drifts of snow, waiting for spring? And after the disappointments and the sorrows, if it blooms, does anyone dare reach for it and risk the thorns?_

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**Chapter One**

The patter of raindrops filled his ears. It trickled down the window pane slowly at first and then in flowing rivulets like tiny streams coursing earthward. He looked through his reflection, past it, to the open field below where a handful of already sodden boys dashed for cover from the downpour.

"Damn. So much for our soccer match. And here I was looking forward to wiping the floor with those upper classmen, right, Momiji?"

Hearing his name, Momiji turned to face his friend, a fellow undergrad. "What?" He pushed back a lock of blond hair from his eyes.

"You spacing out on me, Momiji? I said–"

"Momiji? Momiji Sohma?" What his friend had said Momiji never found out for all at once someone was bounding towards him, calling his name and his entire body tensed. He'd become an expert at sidestepping female admirers during his senior year of high school, but he'd not thought he'd have to continue once he reached university. He was about to hop to one side to avoid any possibly disastrous physical contact when the girl, tall with dark hair pulled into a pony tail, came to a sudden halt before him.

"Momiji, it _is_ you!" she said smiling and taking both his hands in hers. "It's been so long. I never expected to run into you here. You look so grown up," she added and, dumbfounded, he watched in fascination as her cheeks coloured.

"Miss Ame, please come along. We really must get you settled in as soon as possible."

Momiji tore his eyes away from the girl and saw a woman who looked to be a member of the university staff watching them impatiently from down the hall. He looked back to the girl only now noticing the pair of hefty travel bags she carried with her, one dangling off each shoulder. She appeared flustered at the staffer's words. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm coming," she said with a bow which turned into a lopsided crouch beneath the weight of her bags. "I'm staying at Kasumi dorm. Leave me a message at the desk, okay?" she told Momiji before hurrying off, bags and all.

"_Who_ was that?" asked Momiji's friend.

"I– I'm not sure," replied Momiji, his thoughts racing like wild hares but with nothing to show for it. "Ame... that name is so familiar, but I just can't place it."

"Can't keep track of all your admirers anymore?"

"I'm going to find out who she is," he announced with his usual enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit! Go get her!" his friend chimed in. "And if she's not your type how about you give me her number, okay?"

But Momiji's thoughts were already leaps and bounds ahead.

**ooo**

The sun beamed on Momiji Sohma as he strode down the cobbled path leading to Kasumi dorm and it was all he could do to keep himself from skipping. The smile on his face he was quite unable– and unwilling– to repress. He felt almost as excited as he had upon Tohru's visit last week when he'd been settling into his new quarters. As always he'd had to restrain the urge to thrown his arms around her. He missed her– and the others as well– now that they'd been split up by university. He would always treasure their school years together: they had been among the best of his life.

Humming a tune under his breath he took the final steps to the Kasumi women's dorm and threw open the doors to the reception area. A tiny woman with large, oval glasses perched on her nose sat behind the front desk shuffling through a sheaf of papers.

"_Guten Morgen, Frau_," he said, reverting to German in his excitement.

She peered at him over the top of her glasses. "May I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Miss Ame?"

"Ame... Ame..." she murmured. "Oh yes, our late arrival, Miss Tsuki Ame."

Momiji's heart sank with what he imagined must be an almost audible clunk. His good humour melted away like an ice cream cone in a downpour. Tsuki. Of course. Tsuki Ame: he'd not heard that name in nearly fourteen years.

"She's not in right now but I can let her know you were in to see her."

"No!" he said– a little too quickly he realised as surprise flashed over the woman's features. He took a breath and put on the most genial smile he could muster while his heart thudded desperately in his chest. "No, that's fine, thank-you. I'll try again another time."

And with that he raced from the dorm back down the path as if he had a pack of hounds nipping at his heels. Tsuki... How could it be?

He didn't slow his pace until he was safely in his room where he could collapse onto his bed and try to sort through his jumbled thoughts and soothe his frayed nerves. Tsuki! _Gott in Himmel!_

Tsuki, his childhood playmate whom he'd not seen in fourteen years. He remembered her as a small girl, dark hair in pigtails, with scraped knees and grass stains on her dress, sodden from a sudden downpour. No wonder he hadn't recognised her. His most vivid memory of her was from the last time he'd seen her. He remembered her rushing towards him, her eyes glistening with tears, and then her arms around him and the rush of his transformation, the "pop", painfully loud in his long, floppy ears, and her hands, warm around his furry body as she clutched him close against her. It seemed as if she'd held him a long time, but he could never be certain nor could he remember what had happened afterwards. All he knew was that it had been the last time he'd seen her.

He'd never had the courage to ask Hatori about it: it would only cause him pain. And what was the point? If she'd discovered the family secret then she would be doomed to have her memory erased, which was what he had always assumed had happened. But if that was so, why did she remember his name?

**ooo**

During the days that passed even the grind of classes and schoolwork was not enough to keep his mind from leaping at odd moments to the puzzle of Tsuki Ame. Frequently he found his feet leading him out of his way to walk past Kasumi dorm. Not once did he catch a glimpse of her, though. It was just as well. His family curse had caused her enough trouble already. She was better off without the Sohma family in her life.

It was with an armful of books and with the hope of finding some time to spend with his violin that evening that Momiji trotted down what had become his habitual, if circuitous, path by Kasumi dorm beneath a sky heavy with clouds. By now he was so used to this route that his feet could navigate it without much direction, leaving him to his thoughts which today hopped from memories of Tohru to his mother to Tsuki. He was so caught up by these bounding thoughts that he was taken aback by the first raindrop which hit him squarely in the eye. Moments later the rain-laden clouds burst in a deluge that left him immediately drenched and sent him scurrying for cover.

The dorm entrance was still too far away so instead he dashed in the direction of the adjoining building and sought the shelter of the overhang. He could head for the door once the rain had slacked off. It was only at the last moment that he noticed the other figure headed towards the same spot and managed to skid to a halt in time to avoid a collision.

"I'm so sorry," she said, bowing, clutching several rather damp textbooks to her chest. "I didn't mean to– It's you."

"Tsuki."

Bedraggled and slightly muddy, there could be no doubt; she looked as she had all those years ago. Suddenly, in spite of the rain, Momiji felt his face growing quite warm and his palms becoming slick with sweat. "_Guten Tag, Fraulein,_" he managed.

"This isn't so much a good day as a wet one, is it?" she replied, earning a smile from him.

"It certainly is."

"I'm surprised to see you. I was told someone stopped by to see me. I was sure it was you but you never came back."

His face grew even warmer at this and the humid air was beginning to seem sweltering. "I'm sorry. All the work lately– it's just been overwhelming," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes as he spoke.

"That's all right. I remember my fist year. I felt the same way."

He cocked hi head. "You're not in first year?"

"No. Don't you remember? I'm two years older than you. I just started my third year."

"I'd forgotten... So... what have you been up to all these years?"

She laughed at this and he could feel himself redden at the absurdity of what he's just said. He'd not seen her in thirteen years and that was the best he could come up with? "School, life," she replied and then shook her head. "I can't believe it. I never would have recognised you. If I hadn't heard your name I'd have walked right by. You look so..." She trailed off and he could see a tinge of red in her cheeks.

"I grew. You look a bit different yourself," he said, letting his eyes trail over her appreciatively as her cheeks grew quite scarlet. But she was smiling and he found himself smiling in return.

"Your eyes are just the same," she said quietly and once again he felt too flustered to assemble a coherent sentence. She cleared her throat then and, smiling rather nervously, he thought, said, "So what are you studying?"

"Music."

"Really? What instrument to do you play?"

"I'm focussing on the violin. I've been playing since I was young."

"You must be very good. I heard we had a conservatory here but they say only the best get in."

He could feel himself colouring and decided to change the subject. "And you, what program are you in?"

"Languages. I want to be an interpreter," she announced, her facing shining with glee. "I've got advanced English, intermediate Spanish and I'm taking French this year as well."

"No German?" he said, pouting his lips.

"Sorry," she replied, ducking her head. "I couldn't fit it in."

"Ah but you simply must learn German. It's a beautiful language. Here I'll teach you something right now. _Keine Rosen ohne Dornen._"

"Say it again." She tilted her head to one side as she listened. "Something about a rose?"

He nodded. "There's no rose without a thorn."

"It seems like such a sad saying. I'll remember it, though."

"_Gut_. We'll have you speaking _Deutsch_ in no time."

Th rain had eased off into only a light sprinkling. Tsuki glanced at her watch. "I need to get going. I have another class and I'll need to change out of these clothes first. But... would you like to do something sometime?"

He thought about the curse, about his resolution to leave Tsuki be, but as he looked down into her brown eyes, he felt all his resolve melt away. After all, what harm could it do to be friends? She didn't seem clingy or likely to throw herself at him at a moment's notice. It should be fine.

"I'd like that," he replied, smiling.

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_Guten Morgen, Frau_: Good morning, Madam.

_Gott in Himmel!_ :God in Heaven!

_Guten Tag, Fraulein_: Good day, Miss.

_Gut_: Good.

_Deutsch_: German


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It took some haggling to find an hour agreeable to both their loaded schedules, but finally they managed to settle on a fixed date and time, and then another and another until their meetings– late lunches or early dinners in the cafeteria or study sessions spent quizzing each other on their disparate subjects– became regular occurrences. She had an enviable ease with languages and he marvelled at how she could retain the tidbits if German that he fed her even with four other languages bouncing around in her brain. He mused on this as he watched her over the top of one of his schoolbooks. It was getting late and the study hall had begun to empty out but she was studying quite diligently while he made an effort to look like he was.

"_Wo hab' ich das Buch gestellt_?" He started at her words. She smiled and looked up at him. "You were muttering that the other day. Something about a misplaced book?"

"Yes. 'Where did I put that book?' How do you do that?"

She shrugged. "My gift, I guess."

"It's incredible."

"Well so is the way you play the violin."

He smiled and tried not to outright beam as he remembered the time just last week when he had played for her. There had been tears in her eyes by the time he had finished. "My only gift," he replied.

Tsuki snorted. "Oh come on. You're intelligent and athletic and handsome. I'll bet the girls in high school were falling all over themselves around you."

"No!" he protested, feeling a blush creeping up into his cheeks. "I was short when I started. I couldn't even find a uniform that fit me so I wore a girls' uniform instead."

"Don't tease, Momiji."

"I'm serious. Look, I have a photo." He reached for his wallet and pulled out an old photograph. In the centre of it stood Tohru with Yuki and Kyo on either side of her, Hatsuharu to one side with little Kisa held close against him, and then himself clutching Tohru's arm and smiling up at her.

Tsuki's eyes widened as he handed her the picture and she looked upon his fifteen-year-old self. "Is that really you?"

"It is."

"You're adorable." He ran his hand through his hair and tried not to flush once more.

"Who's this?" she asked pointing to Tohru.

"Tohru– Tohru Honda. A very important family friend."

"You seem very fond of her," she said, one eyebrow raised, though her eyes remained fixed on the photograph.

"I was– I mean I am. I–" He stopped and took a breath, not quite certain why he felt so flustered. "She did a lot for all of us. When I was younger I even fancied her for a time."

"You never told her?"

"No. I... I think I knew better even then. But she'll always be a dear friend." He cocked his head. Tsuki was still regarding the photograph– in fact she seemed almost to be studying it, her forehead creased in concentration.

"Who's the little girl?"

"That's Kisa Sohma."

"Kisa?"

"That's right. Tsuki?" She looked pale all of a sudden. "Tsuki, are you all right?"

"It's a lovely photograph," she said, handing it back to him.

"Tsuki."

"Hmm?"

"_Bist du trauig_?"

"No, I'm not sad. I'm fine." She offered a smile which didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's getting late. We should probably head back."

"All right. I'll walk you home."

They had just gotten into the corridor when he saw a troop of girls approaching and stepped behind Tsuki. University girls didn't fling themselves the way some of their high-school counterparts did, but there was no point in taking chances.

"Hey Tsuki," called out one of the girls. "Hi, Momiji," she then greeted him. "We thought we might find you here."

"What's up?" asked Tsuki?

"Professor Nazuka cancelled tomorrow's class so we're going to use our free period to quiz each other for the test next week. Did you want to join us?"

"Unless of course," chimed in one of the others, "you two lovebirds already made plans."

He watched the colour creep up Tsuki's neck and into her cheeks and hoped the same wasn't happening to him.

"Amara," hissed Tsuki.

Amara shrugged, grinning mischievously. "So will we see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be there."

"Okay, see you later."

Tsuki was already turning to face him when one of the girls' book bags caught her in the side and threw her off balance. Momiji reached out to steady her and immediately he regretted it as, for an instant, he felt the warmth of her body pressed against his chest and then the "pop" of his transformation. He was on the floor already in a panic. However, he didn't have so much as an instant to move before Tsuki's book bag was pushing him back against the wall and his clothes were being tossed over him.

"What was that?" he heard of one of the girls say.

"What was what?" asked Tsuki.

"That sound just now. And where's Momiji?"

"He just ran off," replied Tsuki. "Rest room I think."

"I didn't even see him."

"Oh you know Momiji," said Tsuki casually. "Fast as a jackrabbit when he wants to be."

"So he really hasn't asked you out?"

"Amare, stop it," groaned Tsuki.

"Come on, Tsuki. If you're just friends then I'd be glad to go out with him."

Tsuki sighed. "It's complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"Leave her be, Amare. We'll see you tomorrow, Tsuki?

"Yeah. Goodnight." And then the sound of retreating footsteps and Tsuki's sigh of relief.

"Momiji?"

He didn't reply. He could feel his tiny heart hammering against his ribs. This was just what he'd tried to avoid all this time. Akito was certain to insist that she have her memory erased and then he would lose her for good. Maybe if he could slip away... He could make up an excuse, explain this all somehow.

"Momiji?" she said, alarm evident in her voice. "Momiji are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She was puling back the heap of clothing and he tried to scamper away from her reaching hands but she caught him. "Momiji, stop squirming. Are you all right? Answer me."

He froze. She held him up before her in the empty corridor, worry etched on her features. "You... know?" he whispered.

"Of course I know. Didn't you know that I– but maybe you were too young to remember." She paused, holding him against her chest so that he could hear the thump of her heartbeat. "We should talk."

But neither of them moved. He was enveloped by her warmth, inhaling the scent of her hair, of her skin, lulled by the steady rise and fall of her chest. "Tsuki..." He felt her whole body tremble.

"We should go. Before someone see us."

"My place is two blocks from the main campus. We can talk there undisturbed."

She nodded and set him down in order to gather his clothes. "Did you want to wait until you turn back? We could find a men's room and I could leave you there with your things."

"It... might be a while." He knew he was far too rattled to change back immediately. He needed to calm down and... he had to admit to himself that he would take any excuse to be close to her if only for a little while.

"All right," she said quietly and gathered him up in her arms.

He whispered directions to his apartment building but otherwise they walked in silence. Night had fallen and the bright lights of the city drowned out the stars. "In the front pocket of my pants," he supplied as they stood before the locked door to his apartment. She set him down as she rifled through his clothes for the key, looking quite abashed. Finally she got the door open and stepped into his apartment. It was small but comfortable and well furnished. She groped for a light switch but, finding none, settled for removing his clothes from her book bag before sinking down against the wall and beginning to cry. Still clutched against her chest Momiji found himself whispering to her, whispering he was not quite sure what in German, and cuddling close to her as he felt hot ears in his fur.

"I'm all right. I'm all right," she said after a couple of minutes, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Tsuki. I didn't mean to–"

"No!" She held him up before her as she spoke and looked into his eyes. "No, it was nothing you did." She set him down then against her shoulder and spoke very quietly. "I was thinking about my brother."

"Your brother?"

"I guess you were too young to remember. You were only four or so when he died. Has anyone ever mentioned to you Katsuro Sohma?"

"Katsuro?" He flicked one of his ears. "He was the tiger before Kisa, wasn't he? He... died suddenly I think. I don't know any more than that."

"Katsuro was my brother. My older brother. That's why I know about the zodiac curse. He and my father were killed in an accident when I was six. It was suggested to my mother that we could have our memories erased so we'd forget about the curse... but my mother refused. No mater how much it hurt she didn't want to forget about her son." He felt her choke down a sob. He trembled. A mother who refused to forget her son, no matter the pain... "And neither did I." She buried her face in his fur and he felt the tears streaming down her face. She composed herself quickly, however, and set him down in her lap so she could rummage through her bag in search of a tissue. The room was lit only by the city lights that shone through his living room window and made the tears on her cheeks glitter.

"Tsuki."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I don't often cry like that anymore– it's been so long– but holding you I remembered just what it was like to hug my brother. My mother didn't like it– she was alway afraid we'd be seen– so we'd wait until she wasn't around and I'd hug him and he'd turn int a big tiger cub and we used to play like that."

"I never knew," breathed Momiji. "I thought– I thought you'd gone away because you'd hugged me and learned our secret and had your memory erased. I thought it was because of me."

"Momiji." She swept him into her arms again and pressed her lips to his head and all at once he desperately wished to be in his human form. "It was after my father and brother died that we moved away," she whispered. "Far away from the rest of the Sohma family and the curse." They remained in silence for a minute. "Oh!" Tsuki exclaimed suddenly. "Oh I'm sorry. You'll never go back to being human if I keep doing this, will you?"

He made a sniffing sound which was how a laugh came out in his rabbit form as she set him down on the floor. "It's all right. So why did you transfer here all of sudden?"

"I... needed to get away from my mother." He went rigid. For years he'd watched his mother from a distance, hoping just to catch a glimpse of her. The thought of wanting to get away from her when he so yearned to be near her... "I realize that sounds horrible," continued Tsuki, "but I need to prove to her that I won't shatter like glass if I'm on my own. She was always so protective of Katsuro and then of me as well. I just need her to understand that I'll be all right." She sighed. "You think I'm a terrible daughter, don't you?" she added when he said nothing.

"Of course not. I just... wish I had that problem. My mother... she chose to forget about me. To this day she doesn't know I'm her son."

"Momiji... I'm so sorry."

"It saved her life, you know, made her better," he said quietly. His mind leaped to that night years ago when he had told Tohru his story. He felt calmer this time, though his heart still ached at the memories. "And I remember her and even though it hurts I want to keep remembering. My memories are precious to me. Even the ones that hurt."

"Like my memories of Katsuro," whispered Tsuki.

The room was still then for several moments as they each mused in silence. Momiji was startled when the pop of his transformation shattered that silence.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he reached for his clothes and pulled them over his waist, flushing furiously. He was about to rise to get back into his clothing but instead froze as her fingers snagged his arm. Startled he turned to look at her just as she leaned in and kissed him.

He thought he might melt.

Her lips were so warm. One of her hands lay against his jaw while the other was pressed against he bare skin of his chest. As he reached out to her he felt the pang of knowing he could never hold her against him. Instead, he ran his fingers through her hair and then let one of his hands trace down her cheek, down her neck and side until it met with an exposed patch of skin where her shirt was slightly hitched up. He immediately realized he'd made a tactical error as she yelped and leaped forward so that their bodies made contact and he found himself once again, in his rabbit form.

"You're ticklish," he said, mirth bubbling through him at the thought.

"Sorry," she said, ducking her head and giving a half bow.

"No harm done. We just need to practice."

"Practice?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Practice," he affirmed. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"And what would that entail?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

He flicked an ear. "More of the same, I expect, only with less of me transforming into a rabbit. Now come on, Tsuki, you know you can't resist my princely charms."

She laughed. "You're right I've always been attracted to men with fur and long ears."

"Will you stay a for while?" he asked quietly.

"Yes of course. I can make us some tea while you..." She gestured vaguely at his furry form.

"The light switch is on the wall to your left and the tea's in the second cabinet on the right."

"Do you think while I'm here you might play something for me on your violin?"

"I'd be glad to."

He was equally glad that this time at least she had her back turned when he found himself scampering for his clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"What are you smiling about?"

"Hmm?" Momiji looked up to see Tsuki standing over him where he sat on one of the benches along the path to her dorm.

"You have a little smile on your face."

"Do I?"

"Yes," she said sitting next to him. "What's that you're looking at?" He handed her the booklet of photos and watched her. Her eyes widened. "Is that your mother?"

"_Ja_."

"She's beautiful. You look just like her," she said, smiling, and he drank in the sight of her, her dark hair pulled back in its usual pony tail, her brown eyes shining, the curve of her mouth as she smiled. "And who's this?"

He glanced at the photograph. "That's Momo, my little sister. She just started fifth grade this year."

"She's lovely. So how did they meet? Your parents I mean."

A sly grin appeared on his lips as he tossed her a sideways glance. "In college."

He watched the flush creeping into her cheeks. "Oh."

"My father went to study oversees in Germany and they fell in love and came back here once they'd finished their studies."

"It sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? That part of the story anyway..." She squeezed his hand as she returned the photos. "Were you waiting for me?"

He nodded. "I wanted to know if you could come over tonight," he asked draping his arm over her shoulders. He yearned to touch her whenever they were together even if it was only in the slightest way. It occurred to him that some might consider him clingy, but Tsuki never seemed to mind so he didn't dwell on it. In fact, he thought as she took his hand, she seemed rather to like it.

"You could've called, you know," she said as she traced minuscule circles on the palm of his hand.

"This way's more fun." His whole body tingled with the nearness of her. He longed to embrace her, to press her against his chest if only for an instant. He settled for leaning closer to her and letting his lips brush against her ear as he whispered "_Bitte_, Tsuki?" Her breath caught in her throat.

"I have a test tomorrow, you know. I need to study."

"So bring your books. I won't stop you."

She smiled wryly. "You'll distract me like you always do."

"You find me distracting?"

"You know I do. And don't you have a recital tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "I have a free period today to practice."

"If I fail my French exam I'm blaming you."

"You'll do fine. So you'll come over?" he asked, rising to his feet and pulling her up with him.

"Yes."

"Good," he breathed and, after casting a furtive glance around to be sure that no one was nearby, leaned in to kiss her.

With practised efficiency they kept just far enough apart. One of her hands rested on his chest, just over his heart, a reminder of the distance that must be kept between them. So instead of pulling her close, he let his fingers trace down her spine. He loved the way she shuddered beneath his touch, the way her breath caught in her throat.

They parted, breathlessly and stood there for a moment, eyes locked– until Tsuki all at once came to herself and glanced at her watch. "I'm going to be late for class!" She dashed to the bench to collect her book bag. "You're a terrible distraction, Momiji," she called over her shoulder, but she was smiling even as she said it and Momiji couldn't help but feel quite pleased with himself.

"Momiji Sohma."

He turned at the sound of his name and felt the blood drain from his face as he saw the speaker.

"Momiji Sohma, it's you, isn't it? I hardly recognised you. You're all grown up."

"Ms. Kana. What are you doing here?"

"I'm attending a medical lecture on campus. You're a student here?"

His mouth felt dry. He tried to speak, swallowed, and tried again. "Yes. I'm a music student."

"That's wonderful. And that was your girlfriend?"

It felt as if all the blood in his body were running into his cheeks. "Tsuki. She's studying languages. I heard you got married a few years go. Congratulations."

"Thank-you. So how is everyone? How's Hatori?"

"Well." _He still loves you._ "He's doing well." _He still misses you._ "Everyone's doing well." _We're still cursed._

"I'm glad," she said, smiling, unaware of the way Momiji's stomach had tied itself into knots, of the sweat breaking out on his brow, of how Tsuki's smiling face danced before his mind's eye between flashes of his mother when she'd been heart-sick, unable to bear even the sight of him. "I won't keep you any longer. When you see Hatori tell him I said hello, all right?"

"Of course." And then she was gone.

With a slow, deep breath Momiji tried to centre himself. He had classes to attend, recitals to practice for, and Tsuki was coming over tonight. Even so, as he went on his way, all the spring was gone from his step.

**ooo**

The sound of a knock on the door sent Momiji leaping to his feet, his heart hammering in his chest. For a long while the only sound in the room had been the rain drumming against his livingroom window. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he moved to the door and opened it only to find a bedraggled looking Tsuki on his doorstep.

"I swear it didn't look like it would rain." A pool was forming at her feet from the water dripping from her hair and clothes.

"No wonder you're called 'Ame'; the wet weather seems to follow you around." He stepped aside and she entered his apartment still dripping and he went to fetch something with which to dry her off. "You're soaked," he announced as he towelled her hair.

"No really, I'm just a little damp."

He snorted. "You're wet. And you're going to make my floor, my furniture and me wet if I so much as touch you– which I plan to, by the way," he added with a grin, earning a smile from her in return. "Here I'll get you some of my clothes to change into and while you dry off I'll make us something hot to drink."

As he headed for his room he could feel her watching him. "Momiji, is something–" she began as he reappeared with a pair of pants and a shirt, but he didn't let her finish the question.

"They'll be a bit big for you, but it's only till your things dry out."

"Momiji, tell me what's wrong."

He dropped his eyes. How did she always know? "Change first. Then we can talk."

She nodded and while she disappeared into the washroom he prepared some tea. How she so often managed to get caught in the rain was a mystery to him. She did own an umbrella– two in fact as he'd given her an extra one on her birthday as a joke. They'd been so happy then, just a month ago. Even this morning... This very morning he'd been thinking about his parents and how they'd married right out of college. He'd thought of them and imagined a happy future for himself, in spite of Akito and the curse and everything. But after seeing Kana...

"You're far away."

He came to himself at Tsuki's words and realized he'd been standing at the kitchen counter over two still empty tea cups. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

He didn't turn to face her, but, instead, slowly, deliberately, poured the tea, cringing inwardly as he imagined the look of concern on her face. "How do you always know when something's troubling me? Even if I'm smiling you can tell."

He felt her hand come to rest between his shoulder blades and then gently begin to rub his back. A sigh escaped him as muscles he hadn't even realized were tensed, began to loosen. "I just do," she replied. "Most of the time you're– well it's as if someone had taken all this energy and compacted it inside you and it's always bouncing around trying to get out. When you're upset it's not there; it's as if it had all drained away somehow."

"Tsuki," he whispered as he finally turned to her.

"What happened, Momiji?"

"I saw Kana today."

As gasp escaped her. "Hatori's Kana?"

Momiji nodded. He had told her Hatori's story; he'd felt it was essential to do so. Tsuki knew of the curse– her family had lived with it– but he had needed to be certain she truly understood the possible consequences of their relationship. He had not seen Kana when she'd been ill, but he had seen his mother and the thought of Tsuki ever walking that dark path...

"Tsuki, I'm afraid for you," he pleaded, taking her face in his hands. "I want to be with you. Not just for this year or while we're in college, but _always_."

"I want that to," she breathed.

"But–" _But if Akito..._ He couldn't bear to speak his name. "If anyone finds out..."

She drew closed to him, a hair's breadth away. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "No one needs to find out. I... I didn't tell my mother. And my friends don't know the Sohma family."

"Tsuki..." He bowed his head and let it rest atop hers. He was gripping her arms, willing himself to maintain that slight distance between their bodies while he yearned to pull her to him to comfort her, to comfort himself.

"No one needs to know. It can be our secret."

"This isn't what I wanted." The warmth of her breath was tickling against his neck. "I don't want you to be in danger. I–"

"_Ich liebe dich_."

His heart skipped a beat. "What did you say?"

She drew back to look him in the eye. "_Ich liebe dich_. _Je t'aime_. _Te amo_. I love you." And then she kissed him hard and he could barely think with the way his heart was pounding in his chest, his pulse thrumming in his ears, with the warmth of her lips, her mouth, and the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips. They parted for a moment to draw breath. "No matter what," she said fiercely.

He wanted to tell her what she meant to him, what it meant that she would risk her happiness to be with him, but he could barely speak through tingling lips. "_Liebling_," he breathed, looking into her eyes, stroking her face. A smile touched her lips and he leaned down to kiss her again.

And then somehow they were doing more than kissing. With trembling hands he was undoing the buttons of her shirt– which had never been this uncooperative when he'd worn it. Her hair was still wet and smelled of rain and he paused to trail his lips down her throat. A little gasp escaped him as her fingers crept beneath his shirt and explored the skin there.

Drawing a ragged breath he pulled back enough to look her into her face. "We need to–"

"Be careful. I know." She smiled then and brushed a strand of blond hair out of eyes. "I'm sure we'll manage."

**ooo**

The rain was coming down in buckets, but, even were the skies to open up and unleash a typhoon, nothing could dampen Momiji's spirits that morning as he called forth the joyful notes of Vivaldi's "Autumn" from his violin.

"You sound happy." It was only as he came to the end of the piece that he noticed Tsuki watching from the doorway of his bedroom, clad only in the shirt he had leant her the night before. It was absurdly large on her, the shirt tails, trailing down her thighs. He drank in the sight of her and grinned as a blush crept into her cheeks. Pausing only a moment to set down his violin, he bounded across the room and kissed her.

"_Guten Morgen, Liebling_."

For a moment they stood there, foreheads pressed together, gripping each others' forearms, bodies a hair's breadth apart. It was the closest they could come to embracing, but today Momiji could not regret even that for he had been closer to her than to any other. Every breath carried the scent of her skin, her hair, so that he felt he was inhaling her essence, making her a part of his very being. Even now the taste of her remained on his lips. His fingers tingled at the memory of her skin, its softness, and the dips and curves of her body, all his to explore. He felt a pang, a tightening in his chest, at the thought of his name on her lips: it was like the joy that poured from the violin's strings, tremulous and achingly beautiful.

As they stood there he knew he wanted to remember everything, every nuance, every detail about last night, about this morning. No matter what happened he would always have this moment. "I want to remember this always," he whispered.

"So do I," she breathed and he gripped her arms all the more tightly as he pressed his lips to hers again.

"_Ich liebe dich. Jetzt und immer_," he whispered.

The sound of their breaths and that of the rain on the window pane was all that disturbed the stillness and Momiji would have been content to remain like that forever– but his stomach was not in agreement with the sentiment and chose that moment to rumble loudly. He shrugged, abashed. "I haven't eaten."

They were both grinning at this but then Tsuki's eyes drifted to a point behind him and widened. "That clock back there, it's not running fast, is it?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "No, I don't think so."

"I'm going to be late for class!"

"Didn't you have a test today?" he asked, his stomach fluttering uncomfortably.

"It's this afternoon. I can review the material at lunch," she replied as she dashed around his apartment gathering her things.

"I guess I... distracted you."

He heard a laugh from the vicinity of the bathroom where she was putting on her clothes which, by now, would have thoroughly dried out. "Oh just a little," she said as she poked her head out the door.

"I could quiz you on the material if you'd like," he offered. She emerged fully dressed and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'd distract you again, wouldn't I?"

"Try not to be _too_ pleased with yourself."

"Take an umbrella!" he called as she reached for the door.

"Oh! Right!"

"_Gott in Himmel_," he muttered as he pulled an umbrella out of his closet and handed it to her.

She took the umbrella, kissed him quickly, and then ran out the door and down the corridor. Momiji's heart bounded for joy as he watched her.

-------------------------------------------------

_Ja_: Yes

_Bitte_: Please

Ame: Japanese for "rain"

_Liebling_: German endearment derived from "Liebe" i.e. "love" and a diminutive. It's used in the way "dear" or "darling" are in English.

_Guten Morgen_: Good morning

_Ich liebe dich. Jetzt und immer_ : I love you. Now and always.

_Gott in Himmel_: God in Heaven


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

In the darkness he held her close through a layer of blankets: they'd discovered it was just enough to keep him from transforming and Momiji relished the chance to wrap his arms around her. They lay, spooned together their legs entwined, his face nuzzling her neck. Tsuki's chest rose and fell with slow, even breaths, but he remained alert, awash in her closeness, in the prolonged sensation of another human being pressed against his own still–human form. He never grew tired of it.

A knock at the door startled him and Tsuki stirred. "_Schlaf, Liebling_," he whispered and proceeded to disentangle himself and hastily pull on his clothes as the knocking sounded again, more insistent this time.

He was not certain who he'd thought to find when he swung open the door to his apartment, but Hatori was certainly among the last he'd have expected.

"Hatori?"

"Hello, Momiji. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No. I was just– Do you want to come in?"

Momiji's heart was racing like a hare pursued by a pack of hounds. There was no way that Hatori's sudden appearance at his doorstep could be anything but bad. "Would like you some tea?" he offered as Hatori followed him into the main area of his apartment. Momiji was thankful that none of Tsuki's clothes had ended up in his living room tonight; this was awkward enough without wayward women's garments to worry about.

"No thank you. I'll keep this brief," Hatori began without preamble. "You have a girlfriend." It was not a question.

"How do you know that?"

"Kana called the main house yesterday and I spoke to her. She said that she'd run into you a few weeks ago. She mentioned Tsuki. She said it looked serious."

Momiji could feel himself colouring. "I didn't reveal the family secret. She already knew about he zodiac curse."

"Then it's true. She's Katsuro's sister."

"Yes. You knew about Katsuro?"

"I remember him. It was a... shock when he died." Hatori shook his head. "Nonetheless that she's a Sohma changes nothing. Momiji, for her sake and your own you must break this off while you still can."

"Why? As long as Akito doesn't find out–"

"He already knows."

Momiji's heart clenched and he reached out to lean on the back of his livingroom couch for support. "How?" he asked, shooting Hatori an accusatory glare.

"As I said I was at the main house when I received the call. Akito might have overheard when I told Shigure. The point is that however he found out, Akito knows and he's summoned you– both of you– tomorrow."

Momiji gripped the back of the couch until his knuckles were white and his hands ached. He could still remember the pain of the blow when Akito had struck him the last time he'd defied him. Even so he'd been unable to protect Tohru. If it were Tsuki... He sucked in a deep breath as his insides clenched at the thought of anything happening to her. If Akito were to harm Tsuki and he were unable to protect her...

"You see, don't you?" Hatori whispered.

Momiji squeezed his eyes shut. This couldn't be happening. They'd been happy, so happy... Just a few hours ago he'd been making love to her, feeling, in spite of the space between them, that he was a part of her. And then holding her through the blankets, hearing her say she loved him and drift off to sleep in his arms– a moment of utter contentment. And now...

"But I can't just–"

"You must. You know how Akito will react. She doesn't know him. She doesn't know what she's risking."

"Yes I do."

Momiji spun on his heel at the sound of Tsuki's voice. Fully clothed now, she stood in the doorway of his bedroom, a sober air on her features in spite of her flushed cheeks. Momiji felt himself colour as well when Hatori turned to face her, eyebrows just slightly raised. "Ah. Hello, Miss Ame."

She looked from Momiji to Hatori. "I do know Akito. He's the reason my brother and my father are dead."

As she spoke Momiji resisted the urge to reach out to her; he could sense that she needed to say what she had to and that she could not were he to comfort her at this moment. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on her face and watched the tears welling up in her eyes, watched her force them back and speak.

"He summoned my brother that day. I don't know why. We all went together to the main house and then Katsuro went in alone to speak with Akito. I don't know what Akito said to him, but Katsuro came out running. He came out running and didn't stop– he looked like he would never stop. He tore past us, away from the main house, away from all the Sohma lots. My father took off after him, but Katsuro never stopped until–" She choked back a sob.

Hatori closed his eyes a moment, head bowed, and then in that perfectly calm tone of his , "A traffic accident is what I was told. Katsuro ran blindly into the street. Your father tried to pull him back, but instead they were both killed."

"I saw them, you know," whispered Tsuki. "My mother tried not to let me see, but I saw them lying on the asphalt." She bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks; she looked up as Momiji brushed his fingers across her cheeks. "He was only a child, only seven."

"Akito was only a child as well," said Hatori, brushing a stray lock of hair away from his good eye. "I'm certain he never intended for things to turn out as they did."

"No, of course not," retorted Tsuki. "It's just the curse." She glowered at Hatori. "It's convenient, isn't it, how no one has to take responsibility for their actions– because it's the curse."

"Tsuki," whispered Momiji, reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder. She ignored him.

"You'd have done it, wouldn't you?" She stared hard at Hatori who, as always, remained impassive. "If he had ordered you to erase our memories you'd have done it. You'd have let us forget about Katsuro if Akito had ordered you to."

"Yes. We are bound to Akito. All of us," said Hatori, looking pointedly in Momiji's direction. "We can't go against him. If we tried we'd likely end up like Katsuro."

She shook her head. "At least Katsuro was free, if only for a instant." It was after several moments' silence that she finally turned to Momiji. "I want to go with you."

Momiji gripped her by the shoulders, eyes locked with hers as she spoke. "He'll be furious and I won't be able to protect you. He could hurt you, Tsuki."

"I know." He could not miss the quaver in her voice as she said it. "But he could hurt you too, couldn't he?"

"I'm bound to him. You're not."

"I'm bound to _you_," she breathed.

Terror raced through his veins at the thought of her facing Akito, but mingled with something else, equally potent: joy. Joy so sharp that it throbbed through his entire body with every heartbeat. Still holding her by the shoulders, he began to tremble and he felt her grip his forearms, steadying him.

"If that's your final decision," said Hatori quietly, "then I suppose I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Hatori," Momiji called without looking away from Tsuki as he heard the elder Sohma's retreating footsteps. "Thank you. For being concerned."

Hatori paused a moment and then, without another word, he stepped into the hallway and shut the door softly behind him. The moment he was gone Tsuki began to cry in earnest. Momiji threw his arms around her, and, for an instant, held her close.

----------------------------------------------------------

_Schlaf_: Sleep

**A/N:** Based on a scan from a page of the Japanese manga, it seems like it may be possible for one of the zodiac to embrace someone of the opposite sex through a blanket without transforming. I'm basing the opening scene of this chapter on that scan from an issue yet unreleased in North America.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The sky was overcast as they made their way to Sohma house. Fear tore through Momiji, wiping away his fatigue for he had barely slept the night before. After Hatori had left he and Tsuki had clung to each other a long time. When he'd become human again he had wiped away her tears and they had made love desperately and had lain awake holding each other through the blankets without speaking.

Now, as they walked the line of Sohma houses towards the inner sanctum of the Sohma family, they held hands and took slow, steady steps, only faltering when they reached the gate to the "inside". He remembered, years ago, greeting Tohru from atop that gateway, how happiness had filled him then where now there was only dread.

He turned to Tsuki, held her face in his hands. "You don't have to do this. You don't have anything to prove to me. You've already given me so much. I can't ask this of you. I–"

She put a finger to his lips. "I'm not ready to give up on you, Momiji."

"But listen to me. If you come Akito could order Hatori to erase your memories. If you go now we'll always have those."

"I want more than just memories. I want _you_."

He let out a sigh and leaned his forehead against hers. "So do I." They remained that way for several moments, that slight distance perpetually between them. "But isn't that selfish?" he asked finally.

"It's not, is it, if that's what we both want?"

"_Nein, Liebling, nein_," he whispered.

And then he took her hand and led her through the gate.

**ooo**

The screaming was all he could hear. It drowned out the pouring rain and the crack of thunder. He could no longer even make out what he was saying, but even so, every word from Akito's lips lashed at Momiji's heart as he knelt, trembling, at the feet of the head of the Sohma family. Several paces behind him, though Tsuki made not a sound, he knew she must be thinking of her brother, understanding the terror that had driven him out of the Sohma house and to his death. He'd give anything now to spare her this. He should never have allowed her to come. Somewhere behind her was Hatori, witnessing their foolishness, waiting for the order from Akito that would part them forever. Stronger than the pain of Akito's words was the shame of knowing he could do nothing but tremble like a hare in a hunter's clutches.

All at once Akito grabbed Momiji by the hair, pulling his head up till he could look down into his face. "Did you think you could leave me?" Saliva spattered Momiji's face. Akito's breath, warm and sickly sweet, clogged his nostrils. "Answer me!"

But Momiji's tongue was leaded and he could only stare wide-eyed at Akito's pale, livid face, one that might almost have been beautiful.

Akito threw him down and pain shot through his jaw as his face slammed against the wooden floor. He rose to his hands and knees and reached to wipe something warm from his chin. His hand came away smudged with blood.

"Please stop!" When Momiji looked up Tsuki was with him, kneeling on the floor between him and Akito.

"Tsuki, don't," he whispered, but she was staring up at Akito and seemed not to hear him.

"He belongs to me," said Akito, his voice like the dead calm of the eye of a storm. "They all belong to me."

"What?"

"They were born to love me, to bow to me and only me. And if they don't–"

"Is this what you did to Katsuro?" whispered Tsuki.

Akito went rigid. "That– that wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it did," she said, her voice rising. "It's because of you he–"

Akito's hand whipped through the air and connected with Tsuki's face. She cried out and Momiji leaped to her side. Blood was welling up from her lower lip when she looked up at him.Akito's hands, balled into fists, were shaking and Momiji put himself between him and Tsuki. "It wasn't my fault." Momiji thought he discerned a tremor in Akito's voice as he spoke. "It was the curse." Akito's eyes focussed again on Tsuki. "And now you want to take another of them away from me. I won't allow it. Hatori, erase the girl's memory!"

"No! Akito, please–" Momiji's plea was cut off by a sharp blow across the face. Tsuki cried out. "I'm fine," he whispered, reaching over to reassure her when, in reality, he felt as if his whole world were crumbling around him. His limbs were like water, as if all the strength in his body were draining away, leaving him an empty, nerveless vessel of flesh. Across the room he heard Hatori rise.

He reached out to touch Tsuki's face. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she gripped his forearms. "Tsuki," he whispered. "_Liebling_..."

Hatori's footsteps were crossing the room.

"Momiji..." Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I love you," he whispered, forehead pressed against hers.

Hatori's shadow fell over them. Standing, there he looked like an angel of doom.

"It's all right, Tsuki," Momiji whispered. It took all his strength not to howl in pain. "It won't hurt. You'll fall asleep and when you wake up you won't remember any of this."

"I won't remember _you_!"

"You'll be safe," he said, stroking her face.

"But what about you?"

"I'll... have my memories." He couldn't quite meet her eyes as he said it.

Hatori cleared his throat and Tsuki's hands gripped Momiji's forearms like vices. "Please, Momiji, when I've forgotten come and talk to me again. Be my friend and speak to me in German and play your violin and– and I'll love you again."

Something inside him snapped.

"Do it!" yelled Akito. "Erase her memory."

"No." The word slipped from Momiji's lips. Hatori did not move and with perfect calm Momiji turned to look up at Akito. He thought of Tohru who had always offered Akito kindness. He thought of how he'd been unable to protect her just as with Tsuki. Like all the Sohmas he'd found himself unable to protect the ones he loved. And yet Tsuki was willing to do it all over again, in spite of everything. "No," he said again.

Tsuki was staring at him– they were all staring at him. With a certainty he had never before known in his life, he rose to his feet, and, holding out his hand to Tsuki said, "Let's go."

She appeared confused, but took his hand and followed him out of the room. An anguished howl sounded from behind them as they made their way down the hall and out the door, but Momiji's step never faltered. He waited until they were outside before he began to cry. He was free.

**ooo**

The rain poured like Momiji's tears as they stood beneath the overhang in front of the main house. It was like the spring day he'd first spoken to Tsuki. A laugh bubbled up from deep inside him at the thought.

Tsuki looked entirely confounded. "Momiji what–" But rather than let her ask, he swept her into an embrace and held her against his chest.

She gasped and he could feel the shock of realization course through her as she stiffened and the stared up at him, eyes wide. Her hand was trembling as she reached out to touch his face. "How?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I'm just– free!"

Without warning he lifted her off the ground and spun her around, watching her expression change from surprise to delight. The laugh that poured out of her sounded a more joyous note to his ears than the chords of his violin ever could.

He kept her close against him in a tight embrace as he set her down and pressed his lips to hers with a fervency he could barely temper. Now, instead of keeping a hand between them, she wrapped both her arms around him and Momiji thought he might die from the sheer delight of it.

It was only when he tasted a coppery tang on his lips that he drew back. He put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face to better inspect the cut in her lip. "I'm fine," she assured him, her tongue darting over her lower lip. "You're still bleeding, though."

"Am I?" Glancing down he could see that his white collar was spattered with blood. Tsuki managed to dig out a wad of tissues from her pockets and handed it to him. He pressed it against the gash. "I guess we'll need to find a regular doctor," he mused. "I've never seen anyone other than Hatori before, but I suppose now..." He glanced over his shoulder at the main house where there would no longer be a place for him.

The gentle pressure of her hand around his wiped away all the uncertainty. Smiling, he caressed her face and leaned close to press a kiss to her brow. He was about to embrace her again when a familiar voice called him name.

"Momiji?" They both turned and there, a few feet away beneath a pink umbrella, shiny with rain, was Tohru.

"Tohru!" he called and waved wildly. It took all of his might to resist the urge to throw his arms around her and show her the gift he'd been granted. She had changed his life, the lives of all the zodiac members and he was certain her influence had played a part in his release. Even so, it was better she not find out just yet. She would be safer that way. He might be free from Akito, but the others were not and thus neither was she.

"Tsuki," he said turning to her, grinning and rocking on his heels, "this is Tohru. Like I told you about– this is her. Tohru, this is my _Liebling_, my Tsuki."

"Hello," greeted Tohru, smiling, but then, her brow crinkling, "Uh... _Liebling_?"

"It's a German endearment," explained Tsuki, colouring slightly. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"Nice to meet you too. Momiji, you didn't tell us you had a girlfriend. But..." She paused, her eyes darting from Tsuki's face to Momiji's bloodied collar. "Are you both okay?"

A smile spread across Momiji's face; he could not have been better. He grasped Tsuki's hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. "We're fine," he assured.

"But you're bleeding. I can go get Hatori–"

"No!" Tohru appeared startled and he forced himself to go one more calmly. "No he's... busy. With Akito."

"Oh. I see. I actually came to see Akito today."

He traded glances with Tsuki. "He might be a bit... upset." Furious. Livid. Enraged.

"It might help him to have someone to talk to," suggested Tohru. "Don't worry," she added, noticing their looks of concern. "Shigure's right behind me."

And sure enough Momiji could see Shigure's figure approaching from down the laneway, his face obscured by his shiny black umbrella.

Glancing sideways he noticed Tsuki was eyeing his chin again, concern obvious on her features. "Momiji."

"I know," he said. "We need to get going," he told Tohru.

"All right, but promise you'll both come visit during the break."

He glanced again at Tsuki and smiled when she nodded. "We will."

"Thank you," added Tsuki.

"It's nothing," said Tohru smiling like a ray of sunshine in the rain.

"No, not just for that. Thank you for everything."

"Yes, thank you," said Momiji quietly. He squeezed Tsuki's hand. Somehow all of this happiness had been made possible by all Tohru had done for the Sohmas; he was certain of it.

"I didn't do anything. Really," protested Tohru, looking abashed. Momiji could only smile. How did you thank someone for giving you the chance to be happy?

"We'll come visit," he assured her.

"Come soon. I'll cook something special."

And with that they stepped out into the rain and walked down the path towards the gate for the final time. Momiji thought he caught a glimpse of a shrewd look on Shigure's face before it dissolved into his usual affableness as they passed each other and he greeted him. But Momiji was too happy to dwell on it.

They were quite wet by the time they'd reached cover from the rain, but he hardly noticed for he felt warmed by the memory of Tsuki's closeness and his heart raced at the thought of holding her again, feeling the warmth of her body seeping into him. But he held back a moment and brushed a wet strand of hair away from her eyes.

"What you said before," he began tentatively. "Would you really–"

"Yes."

His breath caught in his throat, his own words from years ago echoing in his thoughts. _I want to live with all my memories. Even if they're sad memories... I want to think that there's no such thing as a memory that's okay to forget._

She took his hands in both of hers. "I want to hold on to my memories– all of them. But more than that I want to hold on to you." And she embraced him.

"_Danke schon, Liebling_," he sighed.

Soon they would have to dry off and see to their wounds and rest. Already he longed for her, longed to make love to her and erase that distance between them, to finally feel the touch of her skin against his chest, to feel her shudder in his embrace and feel her heart pounding against his own. But for now there was nothing more perfect than holding her and listening to the melody of raindrops.

**THE END**

_------------------------------------------------------ _

_Danke schon_: thank-you


End file.
